HONESDALE — It's been something of an up and down season for local high school golf fans.
Honesdale opened up the 2024 Lackawanna League campaign with lopsided losses to perennial powerhouses Abington Heights and Scranton Prep.
However, the young Hornets found their rhythm after that, reeling off three straight wins and closing out the regular season with a solid 6-6 record. That mark was good enough for fourth place in the Division I standings a spot in the playoffs.
Led by battle-tested veterans Lucas Stephens and Reed Howell, the Red & Black will take on North Pocono in the Class AAA semifinals.
“I'm very proud of this team,” said head coach Gene Hopkins. “They're a great bunch of kids who caught the golf bug. They have fun and work hard.”
Playoff action gets underway Wednesday on the road at Elmhurst Country Club starting at 3:30 p.m.
District qualifiers
Any discussion of this year's Honesdale varsity golf team must begin with its on-course leaders.
A senior who's been around the program for four years now, Stephens is serving as the Hornets team captain this fall.
“I'm happy with how things have gone so far,” he said. “We've had a few tough matches, but I've definitely seen a lot of improvement all through the season.”
Stephens competed at the pre-district qualifier, which was held last Monday at Elkview Country Club. There, he powered his way to an 18-hole total of 84, nailing down a spot in this year's District 2 Class AAA tournament which is set for September 30.
“Right now my driver and long irons are the strongest part of my game,” Stephens said. “The areas I really need to spend more time on would be putting and my short game.”
The key to his round came on Elkview's eighth hole, a long and treacherous par-5. After struggling a bit on the first few holes, Stephens unleashed a big drive, then found the green with his second shot.
From there, he calmly two-putted for birdie and capitalized on his newfound momentum.
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“That birdie really got me motivated,” said Stephens, who began his links career playing with his Dad at the age of five. “I'd just had a couple of bad holes, but that got me past them.”
Howell also made the most of an early birdie in putting together a round of 87 and earning a spot at the district tourney.
He started his round at Elkview's second hole and immediately experienced butterflies. However, his day took a positive turn when he used a 54-degree wedge to to stick his approach just a couple of feet from the flag at number four.
“That really helped calm my nerves and gave me a little confidence,” said Howell, who traces his love of golf back to playing at Honesdale and Cricket Hill with his grandfather. “The key for me at pre-districts was staying consistent and not putting up any big numbers.”
Championship chase
Hopkins is anxious to find out what his two best golfers can do against top tier competition at districts.
Stephens leads the team with a league match stroke average of 42. He also has the most birdies on his squad. Howell is a sophomore who consistently shoots in the low 40s and even dips down into the 30s on occasion.
“Lucas is just a complete player,” Hopkins said. “He always keeps his cool during matches. Reed is very steady. He's a hard worker with a lot of potential and a bright future.”
Hopkins is also anticipating a breakout performance from the team as a whole during the Class AAA playoffs. The Hornets and Trojans split their season series, but he believes his squad is peaking at the perfect moment.
“I'm very excited for this group to go out there and make some real playoff noise,” Hopkins said. “I truly feel that this team is talented enough to get to the finals.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Stephens and Howell lead Honesdale golf team into the Lackawanna League playoffs
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